UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital and Select Medical begin long-term collaboration
UF Health has begun an “interim management services agreement” with Select Medical to assist with the operation of UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital. As the collaboration evolves and plans are finalized, it is expected that Select Medical and UF Health Shands will share ownership of the rehabilitation hospital; Select Medical will oversee operations of the hospital.
“Our employees deliver outstanding quality rehab care,” said Marina Cecchini, administrator for the UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital and the UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital. “We want to build on their strengths and take our rehab hospital to the next level.”
Select Medical’s rehabilitation hospitals provide comprehensive physical medicine, as well as rehabilitation programs and services that optimize patient health, function and quality of life. The Select Medical network of rehabilitation hospitals includes Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital, Emory Rehabilitation Hospital, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital, SSM Rehabilitation Hospital and more.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with a highly regarded organization like UF Health Shands to elevate and enhance specialized health care,” said Bill Pegler, vice president of operations for Select Medical’s inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. “Together, we can collaborate and share best practices that will improve quality of life for those we care for and serve.”
The interim management agreement will last through the end of the year and into early 2017. Longer-term plans will include a detailed transition plan that will address issues of capacity, private patient rooms and other facility needs.
Meanwhile, UF Health and Select Medical are now co-owners of Select Specialty Hospital - Gainesville. Select Medical will continue to operate the long-term acute-care hospital, which is located on Southwest Archer Road and is staffed by Select Medical employees. UF College of Medicine physicians will join the medical staff. Select Specialty Hospital provides specialized and extended hospital care to chronically critically ill and post-ICU patients from Gainesville and north central Florida.
“We’re excited about the potential this opportunity provides us to go beyond the levels of care and breadth of services we can achieve alone,” said Ed Jimenez, CEO of UF Health Shands. “We have the chance to work with a successful organization to elevate the continuum of rehab services available for our patients. We share common goals to deliver exemplary care and an outstanding patient experience while focusing on quality outcomes.”